Carrier check for pneumatic-dispatch-tube systems



Sepi. 18, 1923. 1,468,497

w'. H. DINSPEL CARRIER CHECK FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 11. 1921 2 sheets sheet 1 351 M abhor/wel P n W W\ Sept. 18 1923'. 1,468,497

w. H. DINSPEL CARRIER CHECK FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE SYSTEMS Filed Oct. 11. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a W4 @W Z 3 4 4 l u El ,5 l: J.

nvmzvrok WW In" v A TTOR/VE Y3 Patented Sept. 18, 1923.

I iii ares din WILLIAM H. DINSPEIJ, OF NEW YCRIK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB 1J0 ATLAS DEVICES COMPANY, INC., A CORPORATICN 0F NEW YORK.

CARRIER CHECK FOR- P-NEUMATIC-DISATCH-TUBE SYSTEMS.

Application filed 0ctober 11, 1921. Serial No. 567,094.

new and useful Improvements in Carrier Checks for Pneumatic-Dis :atch-Tube Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of- H) the invention, such as will enableothers' skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a check or detent for carriers in apneumatic dispatch tube system and involves the provision of a device which is employed in connection with a sending tube,and installed either at the V mouth of the tube or at an intermediate point, to check or prevent any considerable reverse travel of the carrier after once being dispatched also to grip the carrier upon its insertion intothe tube and hold it in the mouth of the tube against falling out under the action of gravity until the vacuum in the line is sufliciently developed to force the carrier to take flight. V

A complete unit tube line in a pneumatic dispatch tube system usually consists of a sending tube for dispatching carriers from a return tube from the latter station back to the tube room which is connected by means of a suction tubewith a vacuum drum,'and a bypass at the outlying station connecting the sending and return tubes. Inorderthat carriers may be dispatched from the outlying station to the tube room, the return tube is provided with an opening into which car-. riers may be inserted, and this opening, or 40 intermediate opening as it is termed, is

closed by means of a door or flap. Since the return tube is connected to the suction or vacuum drum and the sending tubehas connection with the latter through the by-pass and return tube, it will beevident that when the intermediate door at the outlying sta-i tion is opened to dispatch'a carrier to the tube room, the hue 1s short-circuited, 1. e,

the suction through the line extends from the drum through the-return tube to the in: termediate opening and no further,and thus the sending tube is cut out of the vacuum line or rendereddead during the interval of time that the door remains open. Now ifthe opening of the dooroccurs after the dispatch a central tube room to an outlaying station,

of a carrier in the sending tube and the carrier happens to be in a vertical or upwardly extending" length of thetube, the latter being cut from communication with the. suction drum is without suficient pressure either to propel the carrier forward or to sustain it at the particularfpoint of its travel, with the result that the carrier falls back until it strikes a sharp bend or a horizontal or nearly horizontal stretch of tubing. In practice this condition is frequently encountered and the reverse travel of the ca rier oftentimes amounts to a drop of one or two floors before the sending tube isagain put into communication with the suction drum by the closing of the intermediate door. Obviously this back travel or drop of the carriers results in a loss of power-for, when the sending tube is again connected, the carrier must be propelled back to the point from which it dropped. V

,One of the objects of this invention is to provide a check or detent for installation at any intermediate point along a tube line which will operate to prevent backward travel of the carrier under the conditions above described' i In some of the more recent 'ypes ofpneumatic dispatch tube systems, the sending tubes are concentrated at one point in the tube room so that their terminal openings or bell months are within easy reach of an operator for the dispatch of carriers to outlying stations. These tubes, as a rule, extend upwardly at a steep inclination, oftentimes approaching the vertical. When the system is of the open type, i. e., one in which the bell mouths of the sending tubes are always open, and is equipped with control devices orregulators operating to produce and maintain a vacuum in the line only when a carrier is inserted and is in transit in the line, or in any type of system where the sending tube is temporarily out OE and rendered dead by the opening of an intermediate door, the operator must in inserting a carrier in the bell-mouth of a sending tube hold it until the vacuum rises to a point where the unbalancedpressure of the atmosphere forces the carrier to take flight. This condition would exist in any case where the carriers would fall from the mouths of the sending tubes under the action of gravity unless held, irrespective of the arrangement or disposition of these tubes, and so the dispatch of carriers is consequently slow and V inconvenient.

The invention, therefore, further aims to facilitate the dispatch of cariers by progravity until the carrier is forced by the vacuum in the line to take fii 'ht.

The check includes a stop which is adapted to project into the transit tube and is constructed and arranged to permit forward movement of the carrier as it is in sorted into the tube, or during its flight, but which is'operable upon reverse movement of the-carrier to engage the carrier and prevent continuance of its reverse or backward movement passed the check.

' The construct-ion of the carrier is such as to provide means, usually consisting of projecting surfaces or ledges formed by end bull'er heads,' for engagement by the check upoirreverse orbackward movement of the carrier and'the cheelnwhich is preferably in the form of a ball check actuated by gravity, is arranged normally to restrict the cross sectional area of the tube sufiiciently to insure an effective blocking or checking of the carrier against its reverse movement passed thecheck.

In one form of construction in which a ball check is en'iployed, the tube has an opening nd a chamber is provided ad- ;jaecnt' the. opening in which the ball is movable to project through the opening.

7 The outer wall of the chamber is preferably formed to provide a chamber of varying ,depthrelativeto the tube whereby the hall, locsel vonfined therein iua be moved to V l 1 l project through or bewithdrawn from the opening. Thus the outer wall of the cha nber may be formed to provide a receptacle h carriers for the ballg the latter normally taking aposition in the shallow portion of the cham-- ber under the action of ravit in which position it pro ects through the opening or slot in the tubeaud cllectively prevents reverse movement oi? the carrier passed its position in the tube, and the carrier has means, usually provided by its end buffer heads toengagc the ball upon torward aoveinent of the carrier in the tube to force the ball into the receptacle where it is withdrawn from the path of the carrier.

'The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in application, as an, .miample to an upwardly extending sending tube such as is employed in. dispatching from acentral station to various outlying stations in which,

Fig 1 illustrates the carrier checl: applied-to the mouth of a sendingtube; I

Fig.2 is a View along the line 2-2 of F ig. 1; i V

V Fig. 3 is a view showing the check applied to a vertical rise of tubing as between fioors;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the check and stretch otitubing illustrated in Fig. 3;

'is not illustrated but will be readily understood by. those conversant with the art. The end ofthe sendingtube 1 is prov ded with an opening or slot 2 and carries the The fitting 3 terminating in a bell mouth 7..

The fitting 3 has a chamber or receptacle 4 formed therein tor confimng a relatively heavy ball 5 which 1spfeierably made of solid metal. The chamber 4: surrounds the opening 2 in the sending tube; and its outer wall 6 1S shaped so that the chamber is of decreasing depth toward its lower end as indicated at 4. Near the outer end of 'he chamber the wall 6 is bulged outwardly to provide a cavity or receptacle for receiving the ball .5 as indicated at t The inclination of the sending tube 1, and accordingly also the fitting 3 and its chamber 4, is such that the ball 5 under the action of gravity normally occupies a position at the lower end of the chamber where a portion of the ball projects through thecopening 2 into the sending tube near the mouth 7.

The carrier 8 whi'ch'is shown partly inserte d in the sending tube 1 is a type of carrier provided with end buffer heads 9 projecting outwardly from the shell or bod'y or" the carrier 10 thus providing ledges or projecting surfaces 11 near the ends of the care rier. Whenv the carrier is inserted in the tube 1, the ball 5 normally being at the lower end of the chamber i and projecting into the tube through opening 2 is engaged by one of the buffer heads 9, the outer ed es of the buffer heads Q being beveledas at 12'to present surfaces for engaging. theball'when the carrier is inserted in the tubef As the car-,

rier is moved "forwardly into the tubethe' in the cavity or depression 4 in which posi" tion no part of the ball projects through the opening 2 into the tube and the buffer head of the carrier is free to pass forwardly or upwardly; to V the position indicated 7 in the drawing. Then the carrier has been inserted in the tube a suflicient distance to permit the ball to pass between the inner edge of the outer surface of the buffer head and the wall 4 the ball drops to the lower part ofthe chamber 4 under the action of gravity and again projects through the opening 2, thus restricting the size of the opening and blocking the passage of the buffer-head in of the lowermost buffer head in contact with between a pair of lugs 14c provided with bolt holes through which a bolt 15 passes, and the fitting is provided with a slot 16 through which the ball5 may be moved by inserting.

a finger in the event of its sticking or other wise failing to operate properly.

Referring to Figs. 3, 1 and 5, the check is shown applied to an intermediate point in the sending tube. In this form a section of tubing 17 is cut out of the main transit tube 1 to which the fitting 3 provided with flanges 18 is secured by rivets 19 adjacent the opening or slot 2 with which the section of tubing is provided. This tube section is secured between the ends of the main transit tube 1 by means of sleeves V 19. By moving these sleeves upwardly or downwardly along the transit tube 1, the tube section 17 may readily be adjusted in place or removed for repairs. Ihe operation of the check at the intermediate point in the line as illustrated will be readily understood from the description of the operation as given in connection wit-h the check applied to the mouth of the sending tube. It will be evident that the forward movement of the carrier through the tube after being dispatched will be unobstructed past the check, the butter heads or". the carrier engaging the ball and forcing it into the cavity or receptacle 4P in which position it will be held by the buffer heads.

' The normal position of the ball 5, however,

is that in the lowermost end P of the chamber 4 in assuming which, under the action of gravity, the ball will gradually project through the opening or slot 2 and block the reverse movement of the'carrier passed the position of the check as when an intermediate' door in the linev is opened.

I claim: r

1. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having an upwardly extending sending tube, a carrier check comprising a gravity actuated stop situated at a point in the tube, and

means on the carrier adapted to be engaged by the stop, said stop being held by gravity in a position to normally restrict the cross-sectional area of the tube, and which is con structed and arranged to permit forward movement oi the carrier through the tube, and operable upon reverse movement of the carrier toward the sending end of the tube to engage said means on the carrier and prevent continuance of the reverse movement of the latter, under the action of gravity beyond said point.

2. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having an upwardly extending sending tube, a ball check, situated at a point in the tube, which is constructed and arranged to permit forward movement of the carrier through the tube, and which is operable upon reverse movement of the carrier toward the sending end of the tube to engage the carrier and prevent continuance of its reverse movement under the action of gravity beyond said point. j

3. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having an'upwardly extending sending tube, a ball check situated at a. point in the tube,

which is constructed and arranged to permit forward movement of the carrier through the tube, and which is operable by action of gravity to. engage the carrier upon its reverse movement toward the sending end of the tube, to prevent continuance of the reverse movement beyond said point.

4. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having an upwardly extending sending tube, and wherein the carrier is provided with projections at. its ends, a ball check for the carrier which is constructed and arranged to permit the insertion of the carrier and its forward movement into the tube, and operable upon release of the carrier to engage said projections on the carrier and prevent the dropping out of the latter from the mouth of the tube.

5. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having an upwardly extending sending tube and wherein a carrier is provided with butter heads at its ends, a ball check for the carrier, which is constructed and arranged to permit the insertion of the carrier and its forward movement into the tube, and which is operable upon release of the carrier to engage one of said buffer heads on the carrier and prevent the dropping out of the latter from the mouth of the tube.

6. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having a. sending tube provided with an opening, a check for the carrier including a chamberadjacent said opening and a ball in said chamber movable therein to project through said opening.

7. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having a sending-tube provided with an opening, a check for the carrier including a chamber adjacent said opening and having an outerivalhand aball in the chamber, said outer wall being formed to provide a varying depth of the chamber relative to the tube, and said ball being movable 1n the chamber to project through and to be wlthdrawn from said opening.

-8. In a pneumatic despatch tube system having a sending tube provided with an opening, a check for the carrier including a chamber having an outer wall, and a ball loosely confined in the chamber and normally projecting through the opening in the tube said outer wall being formed to provide vide a receptacle for receiving, the ball wherein the latter talls by gravity and is withdrawnfrom said opening, and means on the carrier for engaging the ball and moving it into said receptacle as the carrier moves forwardly through the tube past said check.

10. In a'pneun'iatic despatch tube system having an upwardly extendlng sending tube provided "with an opening nearthe mouth thereof, a check :for the. carrier comprising a chamber adjacent the mouth of the tube and having anouter wall, a ball in said chamber, and buffer hea'ds on the ends of the carrier and projecting outwardly front the body portion thereof, saidball being-loosely confined in the chamber and normally projecting through the opening in the tube to engage a buffer 'head 01 the-carrier to prevent the latter from dropping out of the tube, and saidouter wall of the chamber being formed to provide a. receptacle for receiving the ball wherein the later falls by gravity and is withdrawn fron'rsaid opening and into which it is forced by a buffer head when the carrier is inserted in the tube.

11. In a pneumatic despatch tube system' having a sending tube provided with an openingya. check for the carrier including a chamber adjacentsaid opening and-a gravity-actuated body freely movable in said chamber to project through said opening, substantially as described.

12. Ina pneumatic despatch tube system having a sending tube provided with an opening, a check for the carrier including a chamber adjacent said opening and a gravity-actuated, spherical body freely movable in said chamber toproject through said opening, substantially as described,

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WI M H. DiNsPnL. 

